[blunight]

Does anyone have experience/load data for loading 148g HBWC in .357 brass? I shoot bullseye and am wondering if eliminating bullet jump will decrease my group size?!
My current load is as follows:

.38 spl WW Brass trimmed and sorted by weight.
Speer 148g HBWC
3.2g Titegroup powder
WSP primers

Av. group size is 1" @ 25 yards off a sandbag rest.
Gun is an S&W 686,6' bbl. with an action job, overtravel screw trigger and bullseye grip.

Thanks!

 

[wwb]

...... I shoot bullseye and am wondering if eliminating bullet jump will decrease my group size?!....

Only one way to find out. Seat those suckers as far out as you can get away with, and shoot a few groups.

My experience in reloading has taught me one thing - never try to predict what's gonna happen, 'cause you'll end up lookin' like a fool.

 

[blunight]

Thanks, I'll give it a try! Do you have load data for a 148g HBWC in a .357 case?

 

[J-Cat]

I would go with 3-3.3 grains of Bullseye in .1 grain increments, using different primers. According to Speer, 3.3 grains will yield 806 FPS from a 6" revolver. I wouldn't go over 850 FPS, though, because you may blow a skirt off and cause a bore obstruction.

 

[Overcrimped]

I can not recommend seating a HBWC any less than almost flush with the end of the cartridge.
Keep in mind that you are pushing a relatively lite skirt behind a much heavier tip. This tends to make the skirt want to pass the tip, causing it to tumble. I'v had a few oblong holes in the target before I read Speer's warning about loading them flush.
Also, load them too hot and they WILL split and give you two holes for each shot. I'm not sure, but believe the fracture occurs at the muzzle crown (as the tip leaves, and the skirt is still in, the barrel.

Hope this helps.